WHO i AM
I am a medical orthotist prosthetist and a certified lymphedema therapist. Breast Cancer and lymphoedema are my special field of interest. I do have rooms in Cape Town, Belville, Diep River and see patients at specific cancer centers as needed,I also visit hospitals in the surrounding areas as needed. I call myself a mobile orthotist and I try as far as possible to provide patients with the best care.
The reason why I have such a special interest in this area of our profession is because I can relate in some form. I was diagnosed with a very uncommon neuromuscular condition called Myasthenia Gravis in 2017 and my whole life changed. I developed lymphoedema in both my legs and had to go for manual lymph drainage and had to wear compression garments every day of my life. Also, I had a thymectomy where they had to open my chest to remove my thymus gland. After this sudden change in my life I came across more and more people that have chronic conditions and feel ashamed of how they look or the scars they have after their procedure. I know how it feels to change your wardrobe and to suddenly become very aware of certain clothing and underwear I wear to hide the scars of what I went through.It is as if I became a different person. A new me.
Dealing with lymphoedema is also not an easy thing to deal with emotionally and physically. The struggle of wearing compression stockings are real. That is a different type of difficult task to do. On the outside each one of us might look as if we are all fine, but on the inside we might be tearing apart. The situations that we need to deal with in life make us who we are and there are people who provides support and help to the situations we experience and it helps if someone has an idea on what you are going through. We can be stronger together.
I’ve experienced to be treated by a wonderful multidisciplinary team and I developed a passion to be part of a team where you can make a change. My aunt passed away from breast-cancer a couple of years ago and I remember how she said she didn’t know about breast prosthesis and about the bras. I realized there is a need for it. My passion is people and specially women. I want to create awareness, get patients, doctors, nurses and social workers educated with the new products and treatments. I want to help the patients with the variety of care products andto show them that they don’t need to wear an ugly bra and they don’t need to walk flat chested on one side because of their condition and situation. There are many products that can make their life better physically and emotionally.
“Your life tells a story let me help you to add color to the dark areas.” – Marzanne Altin
